The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and his Chilean counterpart, Gabriel Boric, launched the Valparaíso Call. The initiative aims to strengthen bilateral relations regarding the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems.
The goal, as they emphasized, is “to involve all our partners in preparing the path that will lead us to Nice.” The reference to the city in the southeast of France is because in June, the third United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC) will be held there.
This was explained by Macron in a speech in Valparaíso, the Chilean port located 120 km from Santiago.
Valparaíso Call: What is it about
Chile and France for the protection of the oceans.
The joint initiative of France and Chile aims to combat “illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing,” explained the French president from the Chilean Navy icebreaker Almirante Viel, the first of its kind to be completely built in South America.
It will also aim to “make the ocean a vector of decarbonization of our economies,” he continued, referring to the “launch of green corridors” between French and Chilean ports.
The Valparaíso Call will also allow for “the development of a greater number of marine protected areas.” Additionally, “to conclude an ambitious and legally binding international agreement this year to end plastic pollution,” Macron added.
“We will fight together to convince as many countries as possible to ratify the treaty on biodiversity in the high seas,” declared the French president.
Chile was one of the first to ratify it, and France has just done so.
Implications of the high seas zone
The high seas zone begins where exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of states end and, therefore, are not under the jurisdiction of any state. Therefore, it has long been ignored in the environmental battle.
Only 1% of international waters, a vast extension representing about half of the planet and over 60% of the oceans, are protected.
Therefore, the agreement is considered essential to conserve at least 30% of the land and oceans of the world by 2030.
UNOC 2025
After New York in 2017 and Lisbon in 2022, the third edition of UNOC aims to protect biodiversity and address sea level rise.
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